Amanda Amato
OUR INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO IS NOW IN LITTLE ...

We are excited to announce that AMA Designs & Interiors, an award-winning interior design studio, is now located in Little Falls, New Jersey!

We will miss our start-up location in Caldwell, NJ, which was within a real estate office, and the friendships we have developed over the years from working there. As our business expanded and our team grew, it was time to open up a studio to support our needs and service our Clients.

OUR INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO IS NOW IN LITTLE FALLS, NJ
design, DIY
Amanda Amato
Reasons Why you Should Hire an Interior Designer

Regardless of the scope of your project, any home project is an investment. We manage projects anywhere from full-room decoration to full-scale renovation. When you are investing thousands into your home, the thought of professional fees for an Interior Designer may raise concern. However, you know in your gut that you don’t have the time or bandwidth to take on the project yourself without the help of an expert.

The value of hiring a professional Interior Designer far outweighs the monetary value.

Reasons Why you Should Hire an Interior Designer
design
Amanda Amato
What is the difference between Full-Service ...

If you have been researching an Interior Designer for your project, you may have seen the terms Full-service, Turn-key Design, E-Design, or Virtual Design. These industry terms are different tiers of service and appeal to Clients at two different price points. If you are confused what is the difference between Full-Service Design and Virtual Design, this post is for you.

What is the difference between Full-Service Design and Virtual Design?
design, local
Guest User
When Should I Hire An Interior Designer?

Have you have been tossing around the idea of hiring an Interior Designer but don’t know where to start? An Interior Designer gives you the reinsurance that you will have the dream home you’ve always wanted, help you stay on budget, and reach your target end date.

When Should I Hire An Interior Designer?
design
Amanda Amato
Remodel or Move? 5 Things to Consider Before ...

In today’s blog post, we will share our expertise whether you should remodel or move. If you are unhappy with the current state of your home, you are not alone. Home improvement projects have been on the rise since the pandemic started. Home projects are not the only thing on the rise but the cost of real estate as well. In New Jersey, we have reached a housing boom with homes selling $100,000-$200,000 over asking. Of course, this doesn’t happen with every listing but it is happening more frequently in today’s market. As my husband is a New Jersey realtor, I have an acute awareness to the real estate market and the experiences he has encountered over the past year and a half. With mortgage rates being historically low, more homeowners are considering whether to remodel or move.

Remodel or Move? 5 Things to Consider Before you Decide

marketing

These 6 Tips Made me MORE Productive

Anyone who is close to me knows that I am a "busy bee". Buzzzzz Buzzz... I remember my friend asked, "How on Earth did you manage to find time to do that?" Well, my friend..... I'll tell you how. I hate to break it to ya but the answer isn't magical powers. Although, it would be awesome if it was! The real answers may surprise you! All you need to do is to follow these six simple tips:

ORGANIZE

Organization is my specialty. My work space is very neat (majority of the time). When my surroundings are clean, I focus much better. Clear your desk and you will have a clear mind.

PLANNING/TIME BLOCK

Blocking out time for specific events and activities is super important if you want to be more productive. I am a visual person so I like to see the gaps of free time. I put everything and everyone in my calendar. Dinner with my parents? It's scheduled. Gym time? Scheduled. Date Night? Scheduled. Reminder/Follow-Up Calls? Scheduled. Get the idea? Having a clear knowledge of your schedule can ultimately lead to a more productive day.

WRITE IT DOWN

I am more productive when I have a physical list in front of me. This goes back to the above, I like to see it. This way I know what I have to do and won't forget :P Also, the action of crossing things out is rewarding and makes me more excited to finish the rest of my list. Toss this girl a cookie!

PRIORITIZE

Sometimes I have really long To-Do Lists and I get overwhelmed. The best thing to do in this situation is to focus on one task at a time. Knock off the quick & easy stuff so your list gets shorter faster ;) If a task has a deadline or is high priority, take care of those items first. You can always get back to the small tasks.

TIME IT

Turn your phone on airplane mode and set a timer for 25 minutes. You will be AMAZED at how much work you can accomplish without your phone distracting you. So often I get distracted when I see notifications from social media. I go to check my notifications, then I see a cute picture on my newsfeed, then I see who posted, hey what are they up to?... and then I am really off-task. Break-up with your phone for 25 minutes, I dare you to try it!!

CLEAR & POSITIVE MIND

Don't allow your mind to rear you off the path of being productive. Take a few deep breaths, empty your mind, and focus on one task at a time. If your mind is racing, I find it easier to write down all my thoughts on a piece of paper and go back to work without my mind distracting me. After I finish, I revisit the paper with all my thoughts on it.

Stay positive! You can do this!! Be your own cheerleader. You can't accomplish something if you keep telling yourself, "I can't". Change your words and your actions will follow.

I hope you have found these tips helpful and can apply them to your own busy life :) Please comment below and let me know which tip was your favorite. I would love to hear from you!

Go get em' tiger! Rawr!

- Amanda M. Amato

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Here's the Story behind AMA Designs

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I have always had the dream of helping people growing up. Instead of being a nurse or a therapist, I chose the creative route which came natural to me. As a child, my perspective was very different than the rest of the kids in my class. During playdates, I would walk into my friends rooms, open up their toy closet and say, "Oh no, this should go here. This should go there....." Until I began to fully reorganize their entire closet. My mother would receive phone calls after playdates, "Amanda can come over anytime! She completely redid my living room and it looks great."

It wasn't until that moment that I realized what I was doing was actually changing how people felt and functioned on a day-to-day. It clicked - I really was helping people!

I always knew I wanted to be an Interior Designer at a very young age. It's weird to think that my decision has not changed since I was six years old. My friends were dreaming of becoming a Princess and I was too busy designing Barbie's Dream House. I never really cared for dolls. I loved playing with blocks and making forts with all the blankets and chairs we owned in the house.

Today, I continue to help people with their interiors both aesthetically and functionally. Sometimes I feel like the creative-version of a therapist. There has been plenty of times where I would walk into a bedroom and it just feels lifeless. Although, the owner was so *energetic* and *bold*. I believe your home should be a reflection of yourself. Bring your personality into your space and let it shine! My job is to help people define their space by bringing out reflections of their personality and also making their house feel like a home <3. You are unique and your home should have as much character as you do!

If you want to see some of my work, feel free to check out my portfolio. I am also very active on social media. Visit the Follow page for direct links to all my pages. Let's be friends :)

Let's Be friends

This post was inspired by Alex Beadon's Feel Good Blogging Challenge Day #2.